SEARCH Magazine

Classics to Trick or Treat by

Classics to Trick or Treat by:

Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Cthulhu Mythos

by Carrie Sessarego

“The weather is cooling, the leaves are turning, and it’s time to read some spooky stories. Some of the most enduring are Dracula, by Bram Stoker, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, and the Cthulhu stories by H.P. Lovecraft (known collectively as the Cthulhu Mythos). These stories have been around for a long time – 1897, 1818, and 1928 respectively, but why do these stories continue to frighten and fascinate?

They shaped the way we think about monsters.

In the novel Dracula, Dracula is not a good-looking guy, but he uses his mental powers to lure women to their doom. While some previous vampire stories used the “vampire as seducer” trope, it’s Dracula that popularized the idea of the monster as seductive. Meanwhile, Frankenstein popularized the idea of a monster that is sympathetic and tragic, while the Cthulhu Mythos popularized the idea of the monster as something beyond human understanding and something a human could never defeat. While the Mythos is not as much a household name as Dracula or Frankenstein, its influence on the tone and shape of modern horror has been huge…” to read the full article, download the free eCopy ofSEARCH Magazine‘s Fall Issue.